- USDS Employees Resign
- E-rate Program Funding Is at Risk
- Bipartisan Broadband Legislation Introduced
- Office of Ed Tech Learning Materials
- Massachusetts Unveils $9.44 Million Launchpad Program
- California Launches Digital Democracy Tool
- Regional Broadband Plan Unveiled
USDS EMPLOYEES RESIGN
Twenty-one employees of the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) — formerly known as the U.S. Digital Service (USDS) — have announced their resignation.
The USDS was established in 2014 to address service delivery challenges. It has served as a partner for more than 30 federal agencies to help them improve digital capabilities. The agency’s work includes helping to build transformative solutions with technology for Veterans Affairs, the Social Security Administration, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and others. One well-known solution from USDS is the IRS Direct File pilot.
President Donald Trump’s Jan. 20 Executive Order formally established DOGE by renaming and restructuring USDS. Since then, questions have emerged about how the DOGE agency will impact government services like the Direct File program.
On Tuesday, a coalition of 21 agency employees resigned their positions and shared a letter explaining why.
The letter cited concerns about the security risks of a Jan. 21 interview process, the Feb. 14 termination of one-third of skilled staff working on critical services, and the Feb. 16 DOGE integration — which, the letter stated, contradicts the new department’s stated mission.
“We will not use our skills as technologists to compromise core government systems, jeopardize Americans’ sensitive data, or dismantle critical public services,” the letter said.
Employees who have resigned include engineers, data scientists, product managers, designers, and operations employees.
The letter includes a statement that the employees resigning continue to support their colleagues who have chosen to stay with the agency.
Navin Eluthesen, one of the statement’s senders, shared the letter in a LinkedIn post. Eluthesen described in the post that during his tenure with USDS, he helped millions of people retain their health insurance and helped hundreds of thousands retain access to food stamps — “and in the process saved taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars every year without cutting programs or firing government workers.”
The DOGE model has become popular at the state level, with more than a dozen states taking action to consider or create their own versions of the agency. These include North Dakota, Texas, Iowa and, perhaps most recently, Florida.
E-RATE PROGRAM FUNDING IS AT RISK
The E-rate program is a federal program established in 1996 to help schools and libraries obtain affordable telecommunications services. It has been modernized since its creation to support modern telecommunications needs, including hot spot access. Now, the E-rate Wi-Fi hot spots program’s future is at risk due to joint resolutions in Congress to limit E-rate funds’ use. Find the Senate resolution here and the House resolution here.
The American Library Association (ALA) is calling on advocates and stakeholders to tell Congress to protect funding for this program. ALA has created a simple form to contact Congress, to make it easier for people with a vested interest in the program to state their support for it.
BIPARTISAN BROADBAND LEGISLATION INTROUCED
Bipartisan broadband legislation — the Broadband Grant Tax Treatment Act — introduced in the Senate this week would ensure federal broadband deployment grants are excluded from taxable income.
Under existing law, these grants are subject to federal taxation, which hinders the amount of funds recipients can currently use.
“This commonsense legislation would make certain federal grants provided for broadband deployment are not counted as taxable income to maximize the impact and success of these resources,” U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran said in a statement.
The bill has support from Republican, Democratic and Independent senators, and from organizations including CTIA — The Wireless Association; INCOMPAS — The Internet and Competitive Networks Association; WTA — Advocates for Rural Broadband; and NTCA — The Rural Broadband Association.
OFFICE OF ED TECH LEARNING MATERIALS
The tech.ed.gov website is no longer available, nor is access to guidance and publications from the federal Office of Educational Technology (OET).
Documents related to digital equity and inclusion have been removed by presidential executive order banning federal use of activities focused on equity and inclusion. However, digital equity initiatives, such as the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program, maintain bipartisan support.
In a LinkedIn post, Ji Soo Song, who formerly served as digital equity adviser for the U.S. Department of Education, has shared a folder of compiled OET materials from the previous administration to support educational planning needs in areas including digital equity and federal funding. These resources are in the public domain. He noted that stakeholders are waiting for more information as to “how these resources become re-integrated into the larger U.S. Department of Education website.”
The folder contains “VERY useful items for anyone working on digital skills and educational technology issues in K-12, adult education, or higher ed,” Amanda Bergson-Shilcock, senior fellow at National Skills Coalition, said in a LinkedIn post.
MASSACHUSETTS UNVEILS $9.44 MILLION LAUNCHPAD PROGRAM
In state news, the Launchpad Program is a new initiative to expand access to Wi-Fi, devices and digital literacy training, as well as increase Internet adoption in Massachusetts. The $9.44 million program will financially support organizations — including nonprofits and municipalities — working on digital access. Those serving rural communities and vulnerable populations will be prioritized.
The program comes from the Healey-Driscoll administration and the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative’s Massachusetts Broadband Institute (MBI). Funding for the program comes from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program.
Organizations interested in applying for this program are required to submit a concept paper to MBI by April 25.
CALIFORNIA LAUNCHES DIGITAL DEMOCRACY TOOL
In other state news, California has launched Engaged California, a platform and pilot program that is intended to be an intersection between technology, democracy and state government.
Essentially, the initiative aims to support community conversations using digital platforms. It is part of the state’s response to recent wildfires. In a statement, Gov. Gavin Newsom said the pilot program establishes “a town hall for the modern era.” The program is modeled after one in Taiwan that used digital tools to build community-powered governance.
The California Government Operations Agency and the California Office of Data and Innovation, in partnership with Carnegie California, the West Coast office and program of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, are leading development of Engaged California and its tools.
REGIONAL BROADBAND PLAN UNVEILED
The Rio Grande Valley Broadband Coalition released the RGV Broadband and Digital Opportunity Plan Feb. 25. The plan was developed through a multisector partnership of local governments, Internet service providers, schools, health-care institutions, businesses and nonprofit organizations to address connectivity gaps across the region.
The plan includes expanded broadband infrastructure, increased digital skills training, workforce preparation, telehealth access, and support for small businesses.
The coalition is currently implementing some of the activities outlined in the plan, and is actively seeking partners and funding opportunities. Information on how to get involved can be found on its website.
“Broadband is the foundation for opportunity in today’s economy,” Jordana Barton-Garcia, coalition director, said in a statement.
